The Fifth Child

When Ben is five, Harriet finds him squatting on the kitchen table, hungry and eating raw chicken meat. Shortly after, his older siblings Luke and Helen announce that their grandparents have paid for them to attend boarding school. Luke admits that they do not like Ben and no longer want to live at home. Ben begins referring to himself as “Poor Ben,” and Harriet wonders if he is merely parroting the name or demonstrating self-awareness. Harriet can no longer delay enrolling Ben in primary school. When Ben refuses, John agrees to regularly pick him up after school and take him out until evening. Paul has tantrums and trouble concentrating, and Harriet attributes his behavior to having an absent mother.

To Harriet’s surprise, Ben’s first months at school go without incident. The headmistress, Mrs. Graves, acknowledges that Ben requires more effort than other children and identifies him as being “hyperactive.” Harriet suspects that Mrs. Graves knows something is wrong but has chosen to ignore it. After the second term, Ben attacks a fellow student, biting her and breaking her arm. Harriet threatens to call for the van if Ben hurts another person but inwardly knows that she would never send him away again.